Red Peacock [English] (Original Novel by Ju~On, translation by LuckyCasualty)

19. The Young inspector met his match...

If you mention the most promising police officer in the Hong Kong Police Department right now, one of the names that everyone would undoubtedly bring up is the young inspector named Lù Yī Péng.

Lù Yī Péng graduated from the police academy as the top of his class. After joining the force, he quickly made a name for himself with his outstanding achievements, earning him a promotion to inspector just shy of 24 years old. On top of that, with his well-built physique, like that of a men's magazine model, and sharp, handsome features that rival any celebrity of this era, his name is frequently mentioned in conversations when people talk about young police officers.

For all these reasons, this young inspector has caught the attention of higher-ups for various reasons, including...

"Matchmaking!?" Lù Yī Péng blurted out, forgetting his manners. He was sitting in the private office of Chen Qin and was sure he must have misheard.

"Yeah, you heard it right. Matchmaking. You didn't hear wrong, Inspector," the older man replied, continuing in a cheerful tone. "Former Commissioner Tong Chea visited our department the other day and happened to see you. After learning about your background and work, he was really impressed and said he wanted to introduce you to his daughter."

"W-wait a second," Lù Yī Péng stammered, still in disbelief. Just last month, Hóng Kǒng Què had roped him into taking care of a bird, and now this month, they're trying to rope him into marriage? What kind of karma is this?

"I've never even seen the former commissioner's daughter before! You can't just spring this on me out of nowhere. We're in the digital age now, Deputy Chief!" he protested.

"It's not like they're forcing you into marriage right away," Chen Qin said with a chuckle. "They just want you two to meet and see if you hit it off."

The young inspector sighed heavily in response, making the older officer raise an eyebrow. "What's the matter, Inspector? You look relieved, like you were afraid you were about to get forced into a marriage. Are you that committed to staying single?"

"Not at all, sir," Lù Yī Péng replied. "It's just... anyone would be shocked if someone suddenly said they want to set you up with their daughter out of the blue."

Chen Qin's expression showed a hint of disagreement, but he didn't press the issue. After staring at the young inspector for a moment, he continued, "You don't have any shifts tonight, right? The case from last week is already submitted. Why don't you go to the dinner as planned? You can even bring Captain Duàn along as company."

With that, he handed Lù Yī Péng a piece of paper. The young inspector took it and immediately looked up at him. "This is a famous restaurant! Are you sure someone like me should be..."

"Come on, Inspector, don't be so tense," Chen Qin interrupted. "The former commissioner arranged this dinner himself because he genuinely wants you to meet his daughter. Plus, he wants to have a personal conversation with you as well."

After a brief pause, he added, "To be honest, his daughter Qing Qing is only 22, just graduated from England, and is modern and stylish. If you end up marrying her, you'd be hitting the jackpot. Your career would only go uphill from there. Opportunities like this don't come around for just anyone, you know."

Lù Yī Péng hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.

"Wow, getting set up with the daughter of a former commissioner? You're seriously lucky, Inspector!" Duàn Fēng said, his eyes wide in surprise after hearing the whole story. Lù Yī Péng nodded wearily.

"Yeah, something like that. Could you come with me tonight?" he asked.

"Well... honestly, I'd love to go to such a fancy restaurant," Duàn Fēng replied, looking conflicted, "but I happen to have an important date tonight."